1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a freestanding cylindrical indicator, which is used, for example, by being placed on a road to separate the passage of vehicles or pedestrians or as a medium for indicating various types of announcements, advertisements and messages.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional indicating cylinder used on site of roadwork is, for example, generally corn-shaped made of plastics or the like. Such an indicating cylinder has a certain weight because it is made of a synthetic resin or the like to have a certain thickness. Therefore, the transportation becomes difficult. It also has a disadvantage that it is hard to provide a storage space therefor because it has a certain size.
An indicating cylinder having the aforementioned disadvantage solved is known disclosed in Japanese Registered Utility Model No. 3041934.
The indicating cylinder of the aforementioned prior art has a three-dimensional shape such as a pyramid which is formed by folding a spread cardboard, fixing joined ends by means of rivets and detachably fixing a base thereto by an adhesive agent or the like so as to have a freestanding structure.
The structure as described above, enables the indicating cylinder to be made light in weight and be folded after the assembling. Therefore, it saves labor in transportation and a space for the storage.
In such a foldable indicating cylinder, the indicating cylinder and the base is made of a same cardboard so that the weight can be reduced.
When the indicating cylinder is set up for use outdoors, however, it is necessary to put a weight on the base to prevent it from being tumbled due to strong wind because it is exposed to rain or wind.
There is also a problem that the foldable indicating cylinder becomes unusable because an adhesive agent or the like is used at the fitting portion between the indicating cylinder and the base when the adhesive strength is degraded due to an influence of natural circumstances or adhesion of dust and the like in a long term.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a freestanding cylindrical indicator which can have an indicating body and a supporter securely joined by a simple operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a freestanding cylindrical indicator which can stably hold the indicating body in an upright position.
The freestanding cylindrical indicator of the present invention comprises a cylindrical indicating body and a supporter for holding the indicating body in an upright position. The indicating body comprises a fitting portion. The supporter comprises an inserting portion, which is joined with the fitting portion.
In the freestanding cylindrical indicator of the present invention, the indicating body in an upright position may be stably mounted on the supporter by joining the fitting portion of the indicating body to that of the supporter.
In the freestanding cylindrical indicator of the present invention, the cylindrical indicating body, for example, may be detachably mounted on the supporter. The indicating body in an upright position can be stably mounted on the supporter by joining the fitting portion of the indicating body with the inserting portion of the supporter.
Furthermore, as an example of the cylindrical indicating body, the freestanding cylindrical indicator of the present invention has a cylindrical body with a cross section elliptic, the top end being smaller than the bottom end and the top end closed.
Bonding a single or two sheets of sheet members forms the cylindrical body. A fitting portion comprised of a hole is formed on the side of the bottom end.
Meanwhile, the supporter for holding the indicating body in an upright position has an elliptic supporting ring in the same shape as the indicating body. The supporting ring is provided with an engaging portion, which is inwardly protruded and opposed to an inserting potion to be fitted into the fitting portion of the cylindrical body.
Moreover, the elliptic supporting ring is pulled over to let through the indicating body from the top side and pushes the cylindrical body in the direction of the minor axis utilizing a tapered surface of the cylindrical body. During the operation, the cylindrical body is forced to expand in the direction of the minor axis by the binding force of the supporting ring, so that the cylindrical body is dented to let the inserting portion into the hole but instantaneously expanded to the direction of the minor axis when the inserting portion of the supporting ring come to the same position as the hole of the cylindrical body.
Therefore, the inserting portion of the supporting ring does not come out of the hole of the cylindrical body.
Furthermore, in order to remove the cylindrical body from the supporting ring, the cylindrical body is pushed to shrink in the direction of the minor axis so as to release the inserting portions from the holes. In this state, moving the supporting ring toward the top end of the cylindrical body enables easy disassembling.